In the Interim
by Precept
Summary: The Reaper, Sovereign, has been destroyed and the Citadel saved. Commander John Shepard, the first human Spectre, is a legend - a household name. But, even as the crew of the Normandy make use of some well-earned RnR, Commander Shepard faces his greatest challenge yet - the media. A series of short vignettes following on from Spectre, detailing the time between Mass Effect 1 and 2.
1. Chapter I

**In the Interim**

_The Reaper, Sovereign, has been destroyed and the Citadel saved. Commander John Shepard, the first human Spectre, is a legend - a household name. But, even as the crew of the Normandy make use of some well-earned RnR, Commander Shepard faces his greatest challenge yet - the media. A series of short stories following on from Spectre, detailing the weeks between Mass Effect 1 and 2._

**Chapter I**

On some level, Commander John Shepard wondered why he was so unnerved by the sight of his own face.

It wasn't an unattractive face. It wasn't scarred or disfigured, which Shepard supposed was surprising given his career as a soldier in the Systems Alliance. People called it sharp, hard, chiselled. He had good, strong cheekbones and a powerful jaw. His shaved scalp and grizzled facial hair gave him just enough of a rugged look to be charismatic as opposed to scruffy and unkempt. No one would call John J. Shepard unattractive.

He saw his face every morning in the mirror - so why was it so alien to see it just a few more times?

It was on his way to Ambassador Donnel Udina's office that Shepard realised the source of his discomfort.

There were Shepard recruitment posters, where Shepard could see himself beckoning for young men and women to join the Alliance and save the Traverse. There were action figures and memorabilia on the shelves of Presidium stores, with books and documentaries and even a feature film said to be in the works. Several stores on the Citadel had even contacted him, requesting endorsement deals. He had even heard that there was someone, somewhere, working on a virtual intelligence module based off his own likeness and personality.

Shepard knew he had fans (well, certainly a fan) and he knew that he was a powerful symbol of how far humanity had come since the dark days of the First Contact War but he had never expected this.

Who would have guessed that saving the galaxy from the threat of apocalyptic annihilation would have led to this?

Shepard came up the stairs, two at a time, and stepped into Udina's office. Shepard hadn't seen Ambassador Udina since the victory celebrations. And that had only been a few days ago, Udina had seemingly aged years in that same amount of time.

Perhaps it was just the end result of dealing with the Citadel Council during Saren's rebellion, where all sentient life had faced the very real prospect of total annihilation.

Or, perhaps it was the added stress of being nominated for Humanity's newly-formed position on the Citadel Council in the aftermath of such an event.

Or, finally, perhaps it was the fact that Shepard had publicly supported Udina's opponent for the illustrious Council position - Captain David Anderson.

All in all, Shepard knew it to be irrelevant. Udina looked tired and Shepard found himself wondering if the older man truly was as fatigued as he seemed, or if it was a clever ploy to misdirect his opponents. Udina's battlefield was the political arena and he was a wily opponent. While Shepard had once underestimated the crafty politician, he would not do so again. Udina smiled a thin smile from behind his desk as Shepard approached.

"Ah, Commander Shepard, good. We have much to discuss. How's Miss Zorah?"

Shepard bristled. The fact that personal questions were not his forte was irrelevant; something about that question felt almost insulting or threatening - like Udina was just casually letting him know that he had been watching him. Even if not, even if Udina was just the sort to read the tabloids, even if it was just a momentary flash of well-earned paranoia, Shepard didn't like that Udina apparently thought that their relationship was friendly enough to allow him to ask personal questions. But there was no point in making a big deal about it, Shepard wasn't here to spar with Udina.

"She's fine," Shepard replied evenly, "But I know you, Ambassador, you wouldn't invite me here for a friendly chat."

But friendly chats and personal questions seemed to be what everyone wanted these days. Shepard's star was on the rise, had been well before the Battle of the Citadel, but it was now shining brighter than ever before, becoming something of an apotheosis for him. And an errant but well-meaning public display of affection from Tali'zorah nar Rayya was the latest part of Shepard's life to be dissected, analysed and devoured by the public he had saved.

It was funny how cheating death on numerous occasions came second to that.

"We do have a history, Commander," Udina said, as if it was a friendly reminder. "We may have had our... differences in the past, but there's no denying our achievements."

"Our achievements? You almost cost us everything, almost stopped us from dealing with Saren. If I hadn't betrayed every oath of service I've ever made we'd be dead."

"If that's how you want to do this, Shepard..." Udina replied, frowning slightly. He had never been very good at concealing his emotions. "Sit," He said curtly, "Please."

Shepard remained standing.

Udina sighed, "Sometimes I wonder if your stubborn nature will ever get the better of you, Commander."

Shepard allowed himself a small smirk, "It hasn't yet."

A third voice, one that Shepard didn't recognise interrupted them both. "Then perhaps it will, now."

Shepard turned his head to look at the source. She was tall, dark-skinned, and wearing a stylish blue dress, cut in a style that had been borrowed from the Asari. She had a severe face and her dark hair, cut to her jawline, only enhanced that.

The dark-skinned reporter smiled as she met Shepard's eyes. Shepard knew it was meant to disarm, yet it only reminded him of a shark.

"Khalisah Al-Jilani, Westerlund News. It is a pleasure to meet you, Commander Shepard." She extended her hand and Shepard took it in his own. He shook it once, firmly, and found that Al-Jilani had a firm grip of her own. Shepard eyed her, and found that Al-Jilani was meeting his stare. Unbidden, Shepard found himself remembering an old mission, where his squad had walked into a fire pocket. That sinking feeling of suddenly being at the mercy of something far more powerful than him returned. Westerlund News had a... ruthless reputation and Al-Jilani certainly seemed to embody it.

The pair broke their handshake but neither took their eyes off the other. It was then that Shepard noticed the small holo-cam that was floating just behind her, that had no doubt captured every expression on his face. _Tact, John, tact!_

John Shepard forced a smile. "Likewise."

From behind his desk, Udina gloated: "I imagine that the two of you will get along just fine."


	2. Chapter II - Kaidan Alenko

**Chapter II - Kaidan Alenko**

_Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko is a young, handsome man of thirty-three standard years. His dark skin, closely cropped well-kept hair and sharp features had made him one of Alliance soldiers short-listed to be the new face of Alliance recruitment. However, the award went to his commanding officer - John J. Shepard. An experienced officer, skilled biotic specialist and one of the longest-serving members of the Normandy's crew, Alenko nominally functions as a liaison between the men and women of the Systems Alliance aboard the Normandy and the first human Spectre. He seems completely at ease as he sits facing al-Jilani's floating camera drone._

"What did I think when I first met Commander Shepard? Well, now that's a question. Frankly, I was impressed. Here was a man, three years younger than me, who had already amassed the lion's share of commendations and medals. But I'll admit that I was a bit nervous - we all were. We had heard of his reputation."

**"His reputation? What do you mean by that, Lieutenant?"**

"Just that he was a real stickler for rules and regulations. A real Alliance boy scout. I was worried that we were going to get an overbearing drill sergeant of an XO. And I'd had enough of those during my time at Jump Zero."

**"And now?"**

"Now? He's the best damn XO we ever had, even if there was a bit of an acclimatisation period, so, it was no surprise that Captain Anderson ceded the _Normandy_ to him during the recent crisis. There's no one on this ship who will tell you different."

**"So, it's fair to say that Commander Shepard is well-liked by the crew?"**

"Of course."

**"You're making this a very difficult interview, Lieutenant."**

"I'm only here to relay the truth, ma'am. Sometimes, however, that doesn't really sell, does it?"

**"That's all I am here for, Lieutenant, the truth. You said that there was 'a bit of an acclimatisation period' during Commander Shepard's early time on the _Normandy_. What do you mean by this? Has the Commander changed since then?"**

"I'm not certain that that question is for me to answer."

**"Come now, Lieutenant, is there anyone on this ship who might know him better than you?"**

"Maybe one."

**"Excuse me?"**

"Just thinking aloud. You're right - I'm probably the person on this ship who has known him the longest."

**"Therefore, Lieutenant - has the Commander changed in the time that you've known him?"**

_Alenko leans back in his seat, regarding al-Jilani with a cool expression._

"Well, sure. He has. And I've changed in the time that I've known him."

**"How so? Forgive me, Lieutenant, but people are just curious to know all they can about the newest Alliance war hero."**

"Well, except for taking command of the_ Normandy_, becoming the first human Spectre, and stopping Saren Arterius' attack on the Citadel? I'd say the biggest change in the Commander is that he's now more of a person, more of a friend, less of a superior officer. I suppose that was to be expected, now that he technically falls outside the Alliance chain of command."

**"Excuse me, Lieutenant - just to make sure - you said that Commander Shepard falls outside of the Alliance command structure?"**

"Technically, yes. While the Commander retains his rank within our military, his duties to the Council come first. However, the Commander is in regular contact with members of the Alliance brass and follows their orders, even if it's just as a sign of respect. The Commander's big on mutual respect."

**"That's a fine value to uphold. Although, some say that Commander Shepard made - and I quote here - 'a gross tactical and strategic error' in taking non-human men and women aboard the _Normandy_ as members of the crew. Would you say that this description is accurate?"**

"You don't mind if I ask where that quote came from, do you?"

**"Rear Admiral Boris Mikhailovich, Fifth Fleet."**

"Ah. Well, to answer you question, with all due respect, not in the least. We couldn't have stopped Saren without them. Where are you going with that question?"

**"Nowhere, Lieutenant, it is just what people are saying on the extranet and I - like you - are in their service."**

"That we are. But, no, if anything, our non-human crew members - Garrus, Wrex, Tali, Liara - have been invaluable to the ship and to the rest of the crew. Look, I get that there's some issues brewing back home, the Terra Firma movement to name one, but you need to reassure them all that these aliens? They're not monsters, threats or political opponents. They're jerks and saints, just like we are. All four of them have played pivotal, I might say vital, roles in stopping Saren and they contribute to this ship as outstanding crew members and as valued friends. They're our allies, our comrades, our friends - they shouldn't need to prove their worth like this."

**"Strong, eloquent words, Lieutenant. One final question. ****We have heard recently, from a reputable source, that Commander Shepard took the _Normandy_ into Earth space at the behest of individuals unknown. Sources indicate that Commander Shepard infiltrated and destroyed several Alliance research and development facilities on Luna. How do you respond to these claims?"**

_There's a momentary pause as the camera zooms in on Alenko's face, and his eyes narrow in a slight apprehensive response. But when he speaks, his voice is even, calm, and well-measured._

"I would say that those rumours are completely unfounded."


	3. Chapter III - Garrus Vakarian

**Chapter III - Garrus Vakarian**

_The Normandy's cargo bay isn't the most well-lit place. Fortunately, the camera drones come with their own lighting. Garrus Vakarian, a turian and nominal C-Sec officer as indicated by his black and blue uniform, sits up on a set of crates, elbows resting on his thighs. His sniper rifle, also in C-Sec black and blue, rests next to him. Behind him, the Normandy's ground support vehicle - an M35 Mako - sits dormant. Garrus looks between the cameras and the reporter, his black eyes evoking the feeling of a bird of prey searching for food animals. Given the reputation that he held, one of an expert marksman, even before he joined with Shepard, the comparison might just be apt. If he sees you, he's got you._

"I just thought he was another soldier. Didn't know or care why the Alliance had sent an officer to bring down Fist. I was just glad for the help."

**"The help?"**

"It's something of a long story. I had been investigating Saren in my own time, something my superiors disagreed with. My first meeting-"_ Garrus snorts a little laugh, mandibles flexing_. "-with Shepard actually had him witnessing an argument with Executor Pallin, not that I realised it at the time. I didn't even realise it the next time I saw him, during this firefight in the Wards. Fist had sent some thugs down to the offices of one Doctor Chloe Michel. The reasons for it? Well, they don't really matter.

"I happened to enter just as they had started shaking the place down. Unfortunately, they were quick to grab Michel. It became something of a stand-off. I knew I would be able to take out the leader, even with Michel in the line of fire, but the return fire could be deadly - to her, to me. It was at that moment that Shepard, Alenko and Williams appeared."

**"And then?"**

"The leader turned to look at the door, and I blasted his brains out across the back of the wall. By the time his companions had reacted, Shepard and his team had already opened fire. I got a clean shot and, more importantly, we got information that led us straight to Fist which, of course, led us right to Saren. Afterwards, Doctor Michel sent me chocolates. Dextro-appropriate, of course."

**"Chora's Den - that's the 'establishment' that Fist owned, correct? - was the sign of some heavy fighting. How was that connected to these thugs?"**

"To be blunt, it wasn't. Wrex had come to collect a reward for bringing Fist in and had chosen that time to take his shot. Michel's clinic wasn't too far from Chora's Den but, by the time we got there, Wrex had ripped most of the place apart." _Garrus chuckles._ "See, the only thing worse than an angry krogan is an angry krogan biotic. Ah, C-Sec humor. Well, Wrex insists they had fired upon him first. We had intended to apprehend and question Fist but, well, the confrontation... it threw a spanner in the works, to use a human saying."

**"Officer Vakarian, what happened to Fist during the confrontation?"**

"He took a piece of shrapnel to the side. From one of his own autogun turrets, probably. I think he spent most of the firefight hiding under his desk. The man was a coward, just like Harkin and the rest of the 'regulars' in that place."

**"And after?"**

"And after? Like I said, Urdnot Wrex had been paid to collect a bounty on Fist, dead or alive. It was one he intended to collect."

**"How so?"**

"Shotgun to the upper torso at close-range. He was killed instantly."

**"Shouldn't you have taken him in?"**

_Garrus' mandibles flex. This is a subconscious gesture frequently associated with frustration or consternation._

"There was no time, not even enough time to call in a C-Sec team. Shepard shared this assessment. Fist had set Tali up, sold her out to some mercenaries under Saren's payroll, and we needed the evidence she had to expose him. If Saren had smuggled mercs onto the Citadel to kill her then we knew the evidence, whatever it was, had to be big. And, to be frank, the known galaxy is better off without a man like Fist. There's more than enough replacements for him in the Terminus."

**"It sounds like the Commander didn't have much of a problem with Wrex killing one of his own."**

"You say that like Fist was a crewmember of this ship. Fist was a lowlife thug, with no aspirations beyond dealing in drugs, prostitution and a host of minor offences as long as my rifle. I don't even think he was worth the credits that Wrex was paid to kill him. Shepard and I, we're pragmatists - sometimes, some things just have to be done."

**"We have a saying on Earth: the ends justify the means."**

"On Palaven, that saying is practically a greater belief than the spirits. The man sent his thugs to threaten one of the most compassionate doctors on the whole Citadel, someone who gave out free medical supplies to those who needed them. No, I don't think Shepard had any problem with Wrex doing what he did. Not really."

**"You seem to be a very dedicated man, Officer Vakarian. You said that the galaxy is better off... That might be an odd choice of words coming from a C-Sec officer."**

"It might. Let's just say that I might be looking for another line of work."

**"And why's that?"**

"There was an incident during my time at C-Sec, a few years before I met the Commander. It was big news, black market organ trading. The culprit was a geneticist who had been growing organs inside the bodies of still-living test subjects. They would live out their lives without ever truly realising what had been done to them, only to begin violently haemorrhaging when their bodies couldn't take the stress any more."

**"The Saleon experiments. Growing flash-cloned organs in living hosts."**

"Exactly. C-Sec didn't let me bring him in - too much risk to too many innocents. He got away, changed his name to Doctor Heart - his idea of a joke. I tracked his ship down a few days ago and Shepard and I went aboard to check it out. He hadn't stopped experimenting. We had to put so many poor people out of their misery... bloated, distended, agonising..."

_For a full five seconds, Garrus is silent._

**"Officer Vakarian?"**

"Sorry. When we stormed into his quarters, Heart claimed innocence. He claimed his own test subjects had attacked him. I was prepared to shoot him, but Shepard claimed he should stand trial for what he had done. It's not something I agreed with. I felt that the past had to be settled for. We argued."

**"Shepard attempted to save Doctor Saleon? But not Fist?"**

"The Commander is a different man now. I understood his point, but Saleon was slippery - he would get away, and all those people out there - all those people that I had... - all the people that he had hurt, would have gone through it for nothing."

**"You wanted revenge."**

"Not revenge. Justice. In the end, we were shouting over nothing. As we argued, Saleon went for a weapon."

**"And?"**

"It was just like with Fist's man. I blasted his brains across the nearest bulkhead."


	4. Chapter IV - Tali'Zorah nar Rayya

**Chapter IV - Tali'Zorah nar Rayya**

_The soft hum of the Normandy's Tantalus-class drive core seems to threaten to overwhelm the next interview, a fact which Tali'Zorah nar Rayya comments on. Al-Jilani briefly comments that it can be altered in post. Perhaps the most enigmatic member of Shepard's crew, Tali is a quarian and therefore, as with the rest of her immuno-deficient people, is covered and concealed by a form-fitting environmental suit. A reflective visor and helmet obscures her face. Despite a few initial attempts, the camera cannot glimpse past that barrier. While Chief Engineer Adams is initially reluctant to leave the engineering room, Tali assures him that, were any issue with the drive core to arise, she would be able to prevent, in her words, a 'catastrophic wildcat chain-reaction', interview or not. Her voice is bright and excited, but small behavioural tics give away her nervousness at being in front of a camera._

"When I left the Flotilla to begin my Pilgrimage, I never thought I would end up meeting the man who would become the first human Spectre during a gun fight in the Citadel's Wards! It felt like something out of an old vid: gunshots, grenades, a turian! And there I was thinking, 'Keelah, I hope he has had a shower, the filters in my helmet need replacing'. I'd heard humans carry a lot of contaminants. Um, no offence."

**"None taken. You mentioned a Pilgrimage. For the benefit of our viewers back h-"**

"The Pilgrimage is something of a rite of passage ritual that all quarians take when we come of age. We have to prove ourselves to the fleet, find a new ship to accept us for our adult life. To do this, we need a gift, something of value that we can give to the captain of our new vessel in order to demonstrate that we will not be a burden to our new ship or its crew. Frequently, this is some sort of useful technology."

**"But not always?"**

"Not always. It might be fuel, food, even a whole new starship! But sometimes it can just be a certain type of knowledge - even a new style of dance. It's just a little ritual."

**"I suppose that you will be returning to the Migrant Fleet at some point, now that the crisis with Saren has been resolved?"**

"Yes. The Normandy has been my home for some time, and I wish I did not have to leave my friends, but it is something that I must do. Luckily, with the assistance of Commander Shepard, I have been able to find an acceptable Pilgrimage gift that should prove my worth. It would be wrong to keep such a find from my people for much longer."

_Tali raises her arm the air is suddenly alive with the orange glow of her omni-tool. The image that resolves into view appears to be a Geth schematic. _

"It is information on a new type of Geth platform we encountered during our campaign, something which would be vital to the future security of my people. It's quite a strange design, nothing that we have ever seen in the Flotilla before. It's almost like the Geth have decided to try and imitate our organic forms, but I can't imagine why they would do such a thing. The platform could project an electro-magnetic pulse that-"

**"Miss Zorah, this is fascinating but a little bit too technical for the scope of this interview."**

"Oh."

**"Mmm, this interview is about you, Miss Zorah. You are the member of the Normandy's crew that evokes the most curiosity amongst our viewers. On Earth, it is rare to hear of any quarians being active in galactic politics like this."**

"It comes with being a nomadic culture, I suppose. Well, I don't know what there is to say. I am the daughter of an Admiral, making my Pilgrimage that bit more important. I provided the information that exposed Saren. I've travelled across what feels like the whole of explored space, helped steal a warship and played in the snow. Not to mention that I've been shot twice - on the Citadel and on Noveria. But on the Normandy, I've been assisting Chief Adams with his duties here, in the engineering room. Your people have really built a fascinating vessel here, Keelah, I think I've crawled through every service hatch and maintenance duct. When I first came down here, I remember being astounded; there was no way a ship this small had a drive core that powerful!"

**"You have a knack for technology then."**

"It comes with growing up aboard starships. My mother couldn't believe when I repaired my first power conduit at the age of thirteen."

**"You said your father was an Admiral. Your mother...?"**

"Is dead. There was an airborne virus that spread through the fleet five years ago."

**"I'm sorry."**

_Tali just shrugs._

"You get used to it. Such things are just a fact of life when a broken air filter is your idea of a cataclysmic disaster."

**"Well, on a brighter topic... rumours have been flying around the Traverse that you and Commander Shepard have grown close. A blossoming relationship between the daughter of an Admiral and the first human Spectre makes for an interesting story. Some could say you are just using him for his connections. How would you respond to that?"**

"That it's just that, a story with no factual basis. I mean, something like that would just complicate matters when it came time for me to leave the Normandy! And that's not even mentioning the risks! The Commander is a good man, and I'm glad that he let me aboard his vessel and work with his crew - my people are so used to being treated as second-class citizens - but we're not- there's no- _that_."

**"Don't worry, Miss Zorah, if that's the case, then we can put those rumours to rest once and for all. Other members of the crew, however, have said that Shepard talks to you on a regular, some might say 'frequent', basis. For a man who is as, shall we say, secretive with himself as John Shepard is, it is an interesting thing to note."**

"Commander Shepard talks to everyone on this ship. It's what makes him a great captain. There isn't anyone on this ship who he hasn't helped in some way. For example, two days ago, he helped track down an old heirloom of Wrex's - I had no idea Wrex could be so sentimental! He helped Garrus resolve an old C-Sec case. He helped Gunnery Chief Williams. He's helped everyone. Just because the two of us talk at night because neither of us find it easy to sleep doesn't mean that we're an 'item'."

_Tali finger-quotes the last word with her three-fingered hands._

"He makes time for his crew, no matter who they are, where they're from, or what they've done. He leads by example, knowing that actions speak louder than words but always in the belief that that words can quell violence before it begins. And when I return to the Flotilla, I will endeavour to follow in the example he has set. Is that all, Miss al-Jilani?"


	5. Chapter V - Urdnot Wrex

**Chapter V - Urdnot Wrex**

_Urdnot Wrex is a hulking presence, a perfect example of his imposing species, the reptilian krogan. Unable to locate him earlier, the camera manages to catch sight of him near the Normandy's engine room. In his full combat hardsuit, Wrex is far more imposing than his size alone would indicate, with his blood-red eyes set above a maw of sharp teeth. The right side of his face, along with the right side of his crimson bone crest, are covered with wicked scars. Catching the krogan biotic by the elevator to the Normandy's upper decks, Wrex seems less than pleased with the arrival of the camera crew. He does not respond to repeated questions, refusing to even identify himself. Only when the elevator arrives, does he open his mouth to speak._

"You know, I heard an interesting expression, once, from a human."

**"And that-"**

"Go fuck yourselves."

_Wrex steps inside the elevator. There is no word from al-Jilani - or anyone - as it departs._


	6. Chapter VI - Liara T'Soni

**Chapter VI - Liara T'Soni**

_While chronologically one of the oldest members of Shepard's crew, Doctor Liara T'Soni is, in truth, one of the youngest. Her age of 106 barely puts her out of the asari equivalent of adolescence. However, even as young as she is, Doctor T'Soni is still one of the foremost experts on the ancient alien species known as the Protheans, having graduated from the University of Serrice with a PhD in Prothean archaeology and xeno-cultural studies. Like all members of her species, T'Soni exhibits an almost ephemeral presence and moves with a refined grace. Even on camera, it's hard not to believe the rumours that the asari are able to influence the people around them sub-consciously, and the fact that she was the daughter of Saren's lieutenant, Matriarch Benezia, hasn't let her escape without scrutiny..._

"I think it was Ilos where I finally began to realise the magnitude of my journey with Commander Shepard."

**"Ilos?"**

"A Prothean world, one which had been lost to the stars. I will admit, it had been my lifelong dream to locate such a place. A find of this nature is virtually unprecedented."

**"And why's that?"**

"We may have found Prothean ruins, evidence of their existence, but nothing that we could use as a base to build a greater understanding on. Ilos will allow us to go from hypothesis and approximations to truth. We conversed with an active Prothean VI, one that was still active even fifty thousand years of silence! I know that the Council has already authorised a research team to head to head there and look at what we saw in greater detail. The statues alone would fill a textbook."

**"And will you be going with them?"**

"Unfortunately, no. I'm needed here, with Commander Shepard."

**"That is an interesting statement, Doctor T'Soni. Was the crisis with Saren not resolved at the Battle of the Citadel, when the rogue Spectre was killed and his Geth flagship destroyed?"**

"Well, no. Let me explain. We know that the Protheans vanished from this part of the galaxy approximately fifty thousand years ago but we have never been able to figure out why. During the 'crisis', we uncovered that the Protheans had been wiped out by another civilisation. Commander Shepard called them the 'Reapers', a race of sentient machines who engage in a cycle of destruction. Sovereign was not a warship, it was a Reaper itself."

**"A fantastic story, if it's the truth. Some might wonder why we have never found such evidence of these wars, if they are as grandiose as you claim. Some might wonder why Commander Shepard, in the face of all reason, chose to believe in such a fantastic story. Alliance records indicate that Commander Shepard was a pragmatist, the typical soldier, and yet he seemed to undergo a radical change in character shortly after the beginning of the Saren crisis."**

"Because he believed it to be the truth. Because he knew it to be the truth. I have seen what he saw, he allowed me to see inside his mind and to experience the final hours of the Prothean civilisation."

**"That's unsubstantiated at best, Doctor T'Soni. Do you think it is possible that you were feeding Commander Shepard's delusions? Sources in the Alliance mention that he was caught in a strange alien device on Eden Prime. A Prothean device. I think it can be assumed that it may have affected him."**

"That's not what-!"

**"Or was he feeding your own ambitions, Doctor T'Soni? A young woman, intent on that lifelong dream, who happened to meet the one person who knew the secret of the Prothean enigma. Is there any wonder that you are so loyal?"**

"That is slander, and I-"

**"I am only asking the questions, Doctor. These are just what people are asking. If what you say is the truth, then there is nothing to be afraid about. But if it is just mythology..."**

"It is slander. You have no right to say such things about the man who risked his life to save you all. This is despicable."

**"Once again, Doctor, I am merely the messenger. There's a saying on Earth: don't shoot the messenger. I only have a few more questions, although they are of a different topic."**

"Fine."

**"Your mother was Matriach Benezia, correct?"**

_Liara's face twists at the mention of her mother's name. Her tone of voice does not change._

"That is correct."

**"And she was Saren's lieutenant?"**

"Yes. She had been influenced by the Reaper, Sovereign, in a process that we are calling indoctrination."

**"Some might say it is interesting how the Reapers seem to be a convenient excuse to explain the crimes of a family member. Those same people might wonder if you might have been involved with your mother's efforts to kill the Citadel Council."**

_Liara takes in a sucking gasp and her voice tremors before she finds it once again._

"They would- they would be wrong. And I will stay with Commander Shepard to prove them wrong."

**"Thousands of Alliance military personnel lost their lives in the Battle of the Citadel, killed in a battle at the behest of someone who had been receiving advice - even a telepathic link - from someone with links to Saren's forces. How do you think the families of these victims will react to the first human Spectre being under such an influence?"**

"I... I do not know..."

**"I think it would be with anger. I think they would feel betrayed. What would you say to them, to all those dead husbands and wives, to all those dead brothers and sisters, to prove that we can trust you? That we can trust that your advice, whatever it may be, is in the best interests of Commander John Shepard? Would you tell them stories of Protheans and Reapers, stories that are dismissed as myth and legend, or would you admit your folly, that your position as an advisor to Commander Shepard led to the deaths of thousands of Alliance serving men and women?"**

_It is clear that Liara is crying during the questioning. She wipes at her eyes, sniffling._

"I... I- This interview is over..."


End file.
